# Can the human mind be controlled? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 12, 2002, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-human-mind-be-controlled/103316 "2002-04-12T20:55:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-human-mind-be-controlled/103316/21 "2002-04-16T01:11:43Z")
How is controlling what a person thinks about something controlling the human mind? Controlling what a person thinks about something, say perhaps instilling a patriotic feeling, is not the same as controlling a person. To me, to say somebody is controlling my mind, is to say that they are controlling everything I am thinking like I was some experiment in telemetry or something. I would have to say that controlling the human mind is currently impossible. We are close to being able to implant chips to assist in hearing and sight, but it is still a far cry from inhibiting thoughts or controlling the human body. Still many decades from that kind of technology. **Archangel111** : A microwave emits waves, but that doesn’t mean you can change the nature of the meatloaf being warmed in it by altering the waves. My analogy may be bad, but I don’t believe it is possible to control the microwave itself from those waves either. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-human-mind-be-controlled/103316/22 "2002-04-16T02:34:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qwertyasdfg \* > \*\*Ah, but social psychology has discovered that peoples attitudes tend to change to accomodate their behavior. Thus, had Milgram’s experiment continued for a longer time, they might have started to lose thier guilt. They might blame the victim for getting the questions wrong, or make up other excuses to keep their conscious clear. I have no cite but I would put even money that the Nazis in the Holocaust stopped feeling guilty quickly, as they did what they did more and more. > > Make someone do an action long enough and their mind will follow. \*\* The scenario you describe only works if the test subject is willing to re-perform the experiment. And few would be willing to do so. Ignoring the ethics involved, it would be difficult to get subjects to repeat the experiment. The vast majority of the test subjects disagreed with the experimenter’s orders to keep on shocking the “victim”. Many showed signs of guilt and concern over what they were doing. Some quit as soon as they got too uncomfortable. Few showed signs of even beginning to rationalize their actions. You could force them to participate, but even then you couldn’t guarantee that they’d rationalize their actions. They might be complying in order to avoid punishment. With time, they _may_ begin to rationalize, but IMO when that happens it’s not that their attitudes changed to accomodate their behavior; their behavior and attitude changed to accomodate their situation. ---
**Author:** ![One\_Cell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e95f7d/32.png) [@One\_Cell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_Cell)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-human-mind-be-controlled/103316/23 "2002-05-02T14:05:58Z")
Look at today’s headline news here: [http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/05/01/remote.controlled.rats.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/05/01/remote.controlled.rats.ap/index.html) Today it is rats. Tomorrow, it’ll be humans. ---
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-human-mind-be-controlled/103316/24 "2002-05-02T19:53:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AndrewL \* > \*\*The electromagnetic waves emitted by your brain are tiny - the EM output of the computer screen in front of you are orders of magnitudes more powerful. In an environment carefully shielded from noise sources using electrodes attached directly to your scalp connected to sensitive amplifiers, you can get a general level of brain activity. Reading thoughts from outside the skull just isn’t going to happen. \*\* Are you saying that it is impossible or just difficult? The two are not the same. I do not know, I am not a Dr. or neurologist or physicist, but the problems you present seem more technical than theoretical. Is there some theoretical basis to believe that it will not be possible one day to measure these waves and understand them? Not a criticism, just a request for elaboration. ---
**Author:** ![One\_Cell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e95f7d/32.png) [@One\_Cell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_Cell)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-human-mind-be-controlled/103316/25 "2002-05-03T03:33:12Z")
**Rhum Runner** : Here is a little elaboration’ Receiving and interpreting brain waves is possible. Electro-encephalography (EEG) and Evoked Potential Technology has come a long way to receive and interpret the brain waves, although the real revolution will arrive with advances in nanotechnology and software radio technology. However, transmitting into the brain (required for mind control) is a totally different issue. We are not anywhere near that at this point. Current state-of-the-art requires implants of miniature electronics inside the brain. ---
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-human-mind-be-controlled/103316/26 "2002-05-03T03:49:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by One Cell \* > \*\ ***Rhum Runner** : > > Here is a little elaboration’ > > Receiving and interpreting brain waves is possible. Electro-encephalography (EEG) and Evoked Potential Technology has come a long way to receive and interpret the brain waves, although the real revolution will arrive with advances in nanotechnology and software radio technology. > > However, transmitting into the brain (required for mind control) is a totally different issue. We are not anywhere near that at this point. Current state-of-the-art requires implants of miniature electronics inside the brain. \*\* So then it _could_ be possible one day to read a person’s thoughts, but far more difficult to actually transmit into the brain and control it. I would think that one of the problems with transmitting into the brain would be turning off the “native” brain processes. Suppose I transmit the insturction to jump up and down on one leg, but the person wants to walk forward. The brain gets both signals and something completely different happens like their heart shuts off or they pick their nose… As you can no doubt tell, I am way out of my league on this topic… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-human-mind-be-controlled/103316.md?page=1)